We Only Part To Meet Again
by britgirl2003
Summary: ONESHOT. A missing scene from The Show Must Go On. Carter says goodbye to Susan.


**Disclaimer: I don't own ER or its characters, etc.**

**Summary: An extra scene for The Show Must Go On – a goodbye scene between Carter and Susan, because I was SO annoyed we didn't get one. It's been ages since I wrote an ER fic, so please forgive me if my characterisations are a bit off!**

**We Only Part To Meet Again**

Carter left the interns and wandered down the hallways that had been his home for the past eleven years. A flood of memories came back to him – Mark, Benton, Carol. He had seen so many people come and go; some that he still sorely missed. They had been more than simply his colleagues, they had been his friends: people who had changed his life, changed _him_. People who had supported him at his lowest and people who had celebrated with him during his accomplishments.

He walked through the ER, watching the familiar scenes that would soon become a memory. He saw Susan inside one of the treatment rooms and stopped, watching her as she studied an x-ray in front of her. He would miss her. Not only had she been his teacher and mentor, she had been one of his closest friends. Their brief fling when she had returned to Chicago had come from loneliness, and instead of haunting them, it had only strengthened their friendship. Susan had known him longer than most of his colleagues – she had been there on his first day and he was glad she was there on his last day.

Slowly, Carter opened the door so as not to surprise her. Susan turned as he came in.

"Hey," she greeted him fondly.

"Hey," Carter said. He sat his bag down on the empty bed.

"All finished, huh?" Susan asked.

Carter nodded.

"So, how was your last shift?" Susan asked, spinning round to face him.

"Strange…you know the young girl I was treating? With the broken hand?"

Susan nodded.

"I delivered her, the first year I was here. Her parents remembered me," Carter laughed.

"Wow," Susan gasped. "At least your last shift was a memorable one."

"Yeah," Carter said, a hint of sadness.

Susan took a deep breath, knowing she was about to say goodbye to him. "Ok, let's do this 'cos I hate goodbyes."

She gestured with her hands and Carter smiled, accepting the hug she offered.

"I'm gonna miss you," Susan said softly as she hugged him tightly. "We all are. This place won't be the same without you."

Carter smiled over her shoulder. "I'll miss you too."

Susan pulled back to look at him. "I'm sorry if the past few weeks have been weird…with the tenure thing. I didn't mean them to be," Susan apologised.

"No, it's ok," Carter cut her off. "I never meant to take it from you. And you were right, I did want to be somewhere else."

Susan nodded. "I can't believe you're going for good this time. Africa is lucky to have you, you know."

Carter smiled bashfully. "Thank you…for everything. I, uh…I wouldn't be the doctor I am if it wasn't for you, and Mark, and Peter. You know, I just left Abby and Neela and Ray. They did a great job today, they handled the trauma amazingly well. They're going to be great doctors with you to teach them."

Susan blinked away the tears that were threatening to fall, shaking her head.

"You're an amazing doctor, Carter, and you did it by yourself," she protested.

Carter smiled at her modesty as she dropped her head. He reached behind him, pulling out his stethoscope from his bag and holding out in front of him.

"I, uh, I wanted you to have this," Carter offered it to her.

Susan frowned, not understanding.

"It was Mark's," Carter explained. "I found it after he died, and it's served me well for the past three years. But I think it's too invaluable to take to Africa. I think he'd like you to have it and I know it'll be in safe hands here."

Susan took the stethoscope carefully out of Carter's grasp. She lifted a hand to her face to wipe away the tears that were now falling.

"Thanks," she whispered, her voice cracking slightly. She reached up to him to hug him again. "Take care of yourself out there, ok?"

"You take care of yourself here, too," Carter teased.

They pulled away and studied each other for a moment.

"I should go," Carter said eventually.

"I hope everything works out for you, John," Susan said.

Carter picked up his bag and made his way to leave, pausing at the door.

"Give Cosmo a kiss from me," he said. Susan nodded. "Chuck too."

Susan laughed and watched as he left. She would miss him a lot. When she had returned to Chicago, she had hoped that all her old friends would still be there. Only Mark and Carter still worked at County, and Mark had died soon after she came back. She still missed Mark, every day, and Carter was the only one who had ever understood that and the only one who came close to filling the gap that Mark had left. She had watched him grow from a young medical student, in his tailored lab coat, to a first class doctor, and she couldn't help but feel proud as he moved on in his life.

Carter made his way to the exit and paused, watching his friends do what they did best: helping the wounded, healing the sick.

He was moving on to a new life…but his old one would continue.


End file.
